A type of story

Ever wondered who decided that Comic Sans is a no-go kind of type, or why Helvetica wins the popular vote every time? Just My Type is an exploration of type.

Not too long ago there was a bizarre story in the press about a New Zealand woman who lost her job because she sent out a company memo about staff claims. BUT SHE WROTE IT ALL LIKE THIS, and was sacked for causing disharmony in the work place.

Apart from raising concerns about unfair dismissal, it also drew attention to the way we engage and interact with type on a daily basis.

Simon Garfield’s Just My Type: A Book About Fonts also uses the above example to educate and entertain non-designers about the pervasive presence of fonts in every aspect of modern life. He tells how Comic Sans came to be regularly misused and why Helvetica gets the popular vote every time.

The story starts with Johannes Gutenberg, takes in all the changes and influences along the way, and ends with Neville Brody, Jonathan Barnbrook and the like. In between, Garfield looks at the gender of type, the fonts that work for political campaigns and the fonts best suited to the iPad.

If ever you need an all-in-one guide to understanding fonts and typefaces, and the difference between the two (a font is a complete character set, consisting of various types) it’s all here. And it helps that Just My Type is a stimulating read, indeed just my type.

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts is available on the Design Indaba Shop. Click here to order yours now.

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts is available on the Design Indaba Shop. Click here to order yours now.